Ukrlandfarming Deputy CEO Petrashko explained the company's farmland management
Considering the fact that Ukrlandfarming was in a complicated situation and used merely its own funds in limited volumes, part of the farmland was lost. This was informed by Igor Petrashko, Deputy CEO of Ukrlandfarming in the interview for Latifundist.com.
In the previous years, the company lost farmland in the Crimea, in Donetsk and Lugansk regions. Currently, Ukrlandfarming manages more than 500 thou. hectares.
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“We are now working on stabilizing the land bank and carrying on comprehensive work with shareholders. We will search for optimal solutions as even this year the land bank will decrease. I don’t think that in 2019 we will be able to increase farmland volume, but we are set to stop the process of losing land, and next year we will start working on increasing it,” Igor Petrashko commented.
In his view, one should differentiate competitive processes from the struggle for rent on the part of other agricultural companies and attempts at illegal seizures using the so-called dual registration of lease rights.
“Such problems arose in Dnipropetrovsk and Lviv regions. But those were not widely spread. We have no conflicts with other large agroholdings. These are mainly local “ smart dealers”, who want to grab 100-200 hectares and operate using absolutely illegal methods. We quickly fix and cancel double registrations and alike. However, there are attempts,” he adds.
Igor Petrashko supports fair competition for the land, the lease agreements on which end.
“We work with people in places, discuss the cost of rent, social projects. And it is completely different when there is a signed lease agreement, and they sign another agreement for the same land and try to take over the control through raider methods. We do not tolerate such things. This year we plan to strengthen the work with shareholders and we are developing a loyalty program,” he specified.
As previously reported, Ukrlandfarming increased the number of livestock over the past three years by 11% to 6.2 thou. head.